The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing

Lore & Background

The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing is set in Borgova, the gothic-noir capital of the fictional kingdom of Borgovia. The city is vast and bolstered by anachronistic science, but also filled with evil creatures created by that science. The game is not strictly set in the same fictional universe as Bram Stoker's novel Dracula, but rather a similar one with monsters, magic, and weird technology. The protagonist is the son of Abraham Van Helsing, the vampire hunter from the novel, and his task is to continue in his father's footsteps and exterminate the monsters from the city.

Development was announced on 9 May 2012 by Hungarian independent studio NeocoreGames. The title was developed for PC and the Xbox 360's Xbox Live Arcade platform. At Gamescom 2012, the developers stated the game was planned as part of a trilogy. In October 2012, after community feedback that the depiction of young Van Helsing appeared too young and inexperienced, NeocoreGames held a vote among three possible versions: The Mysterious Stranger, The Chevalier, or The Veteran. Receiving 72% of the vote, The Mysterious Stranger depiction was chosen for the young Van Helsing.

A remastered version including the sequels, titled The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing: Final Cut, was released on 6 November 2015. On 1 December 2015, the game was released as part of the Games with Gold benefit for the Xbox One.

Reader's Guide

The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing received mixed or average reviews according to Metacritic. Critics noted a forgetful story, performance issues, and an unexplained tower defense element that held the game back from its potential, with some describing it as meandering between standard and boring. Others found the genre a good fit for the franchise, praising its scrappy charm and schlocky character, and noted that the design template was difficult to screw up badly. GameSpot highlighted the clever writing, atmospheric setting, and combat mechanics, while citing a clumsy interface and sparse multiplayer as minor hindrances. IGN called it a solid game lacking innovation, depth, and substantial multiplayer. Polygon pointed to repetitive content and lack of innovation despite the setting's potential. Push Square disliked the uninteresting battle system and narrative but praised the lighthearted tone for helping the game stand out. RPGamer enjoyed the writing, characters, exploration, and combat, but disliked reused content and subpar difficulty modes.

The game's legacy is tied to its sequels, which received generally favorable reviews for Van Helsing II and mixed or average reviews for Van Helsing III. The trilogy was later compiled as The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing: Final Cut. The game remains an example of a mid-budget action RPG that leveraged a classic literary property with anachronistic humor and a gothic-noir aesthetic, though its execution was seen as uneven.

Did You Know?

• The game is based on Bram Stoker's novel Dracula, but set in a twisted 19th-century Europe with monsters, magic, and weird technology.
• After community feedback, a vote was held to choose the depiction of young Van Helsing; The Mysterious Stranger won with 72% of the vote.